(510) 214 - 3562
We help athletes and those with chronic pain to recover from injuries, regain mobility, and live pain-free.
Services
At Life in Motion Bodywork we listen to why you’ve come in, and then design a session to maximize your benefit.
Step 1: Tell us why you’re here today. If there’s a specific area or pain you’d like addressed, if you want to increase your flexibility, work on an injury, or if you’re here for maintenance massage...etc.
Step 2: We'll ask you a few questions and, in some cases, do some over-the-clothes assessment first—this will help us determine the cause of your pain or the best areas to work to provide you with results.
Step 3: Our therapists will combine techniques from multiple styles of massage, so that you don’t have to pick just one method or have to guess what treatment is best for you. Some of the techniques we can use include Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Therapy, Passive Stretching, Myofascial Cupping, Graston Technique (IASTM), Acupressure, Sports Massage and many others.
As experts in soft tissue mobilization, we know what will benefit you the most and will base the treatment around that—and if you like a specific style or pressure, feel free to let us know you want us to incorporate it! Please include this in the notes sections when you book your appointment, or if you’d like to know more information about one of these modalities.
Clinical Deep Tissue & Sports Massage
Clinical Deep Tissue is about determining the cause of your pain. It can give us an idea of if the issue stems from muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, or fascia and from there make our session much more effective.
This treatment is rooted in assessment, meaning when you come in we will look at:
∙Your Posture
∙Range of Motion
∙How some movements affect your pain
Don't be intimidated by the name, deep tissue means we are working with deeper muscles not painful pressure.
Myofascial Cupping Therapy
Myofascial cupping is a unique modality of massage that creates a "negative pressure" on the tissue underneath it.
Made popular in recent years by Michael Phelps. this treatment involves placing glass cups over area of restriction or pain, and creating suction over the skin.
Be advised this treatment can leave small bruises on the body, but it is not painful and the results feel great.
If you're unsure about this modality feel free to reach out to us for a free phone consultation!
Shiatsu
Shiatsu is a form of holistic healing that dates back centuries and was derived from principles of ancient Chinese medicine.
This modality primarily uses:
∙deep compressions
∙big stretches
∙targeted acupressure points to lengthen and relax shortened and fatigued muscles.
Best described as “assisted yoga” (similar to Thai massage), this modality is great for opening up the body in ways we don’t get to in everyday life—it is especially beneficial for those who might not stretch as much as they should but has a wide variety of uses.
Trigger Point
A trigger point is a sensitive area in your muscle that when pressed on refers pain to another area or radiates locally.
Often these trigger points are caused by repetitive motions, injury, or emotional stress.
As we work we may discover trigger points throughout the body, some you may have already been aware of & other you may not have noticed. If during your massage you feel referred pain, let your practitioner know.
We treat trigger points by:
∙Applying direct pressure over the affected area
∙Using gentle massage to help the muscles relax
∙ Occasionally, using friction over the trigger point & a series of muscle contractions.
Please note trigger point treatment can be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful.
Acupressure
Acupressure is very similar to acupuncture—without the needles. Both of these treatments are derived from from a style of ancient Chinese medicine that has mapped out special points around the body.
These points can help treat a wide variety of conditions ranging from muscle aches to digestive trouble, or depression.
Unlike trigger point therapy, acupressure is very gentle and often involves long, slow holds. This style provides a pain free way to affect the body, that doesn’t always involve pressure directly over the site of the pain—leading to a much more comfortable session.